The present invention relates to a convertible jewelry article for use by a wearer and provides for the use of a selected ornamental member with one of a plurality of mounting elements so that the selected ornamental member is convertible for use for different purposes, such as for an earring, a bar pin, or a necklace assembly.
Prior to the instant invention, some convertible jewelry devices have been known, but essentially these prior known devices have consisted of changing the ornamentation of a base member as mounted on a mounting element that is secured in a convenient manner on a user. Thus, if the convertible jewelry article was in the form of an earring, the ornamental portion of the earring was interchanged with a similar ornamental portion of different coloration or design. In this instance, the means for mounting the earring in place was the same. Other efforts to modify the mounting means for an ornamental articles such as an earring have also been suggested, and one example of this type of device is illustrated in the U.S. Pat. No. to HORLAND 3,122,007. In the HORLAND patent, a structure is disclosed, wherein the use of a post is interchanged with a clasp, but this form of device was essentially for the purpose of using the ornament either with a post earring or with a clamp earring. Hence there is no disclosure in this patent of utilizing the ornament with a different form of a mounting element or for utilizing other ornamental members that are also constructed for accepting different mounting elements.
Other devices of similar purpose to that of the HORLAND patent and which define the most pertinent prior art of which applicant is aware are the U.S. Pat. Nos. to BATTIST No. 2,501,754, ARZT 2,813,407, EBERTIN 2,722,811, CECERE, et al 4,003,216, and BOYLAND No. 948,917. Although the EBERTIN U.S. Pat. No. 2,722,811 does suggest using an earring clamping means for a purpose other than as an earring, such as a clamp-on to a dress, the structure of that device remains essentially the same, which is distinguishable from the subject invention which provides for using an ornamental member with selected mounting elements of different structure.
As will be evident, none of the prior art devices as referred to hereinabove show or suggest the concept of applicant's invention which provides for using the same type of holding bracket on ornamental articles with various kinds of mounting elements for mounting an ornamental article on the wearer.